Heavy rains trigger mudslide, help crews fighting Levan Fire

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NEPHI CANYON — Heavy rains triggered a mudslide Monday afternoon that forced the closure Highway 132 between Nephi and Fountain Green for a few hours. But that same storm was a welcome sight to firefighters battling the nearby Levan Fire.

Around 3:30 p.m., mud, debris and rocks covered Highway 132, about 4 miles up Nephi Canyon, after heavy rains dampened the earth.

The road closed while crews cleared the area. It remained closed through the afternoon, reopening after 6 p.m.

But the rain did give firefighters battling the Levan Fire a break, following four days of hot and windy weather.

Monday afternoon, fire bosses decided to bring many of the hand crews off the mountain as a safety precaution, due to the incoming storm.

"Even with rain last night and this afternoon that is slowing the fire, a lot of resources are still assigned to the Levan Fire in an effort to get it contained," said fire information officer Ken Rodgers.

As of Monday evening, the fire had burned 4,300 acres and was at least 35 percent contained.

A community meeting about the fire has been scheduled for 8 p.m. Monday at Juab High School, 802 N. 650 East, in Nephi. Fire officials will answer questions and give residents of Levan and Nephi the latest information on the fire.